In other words, other character state distributions do not match,

In other words, other character state distributions do not match, so they did not apparently evolve in step. This is a specific problem for that case. Disjunct sets of character distributions cannot

support a unified functional hypothesis that purports to explain the evolution of an adaptation (although in this case an exaptation may be possible). One shortcoming of most functional explanations for bizarre structures in extinct dinosaurs is that the evolution of these features and functions in a clade is very seldom considered. Without doing so, there is no evidence that the function (in the sense of an adaptation) evolved at all, and therefore the hypothesized function itself must be considered in doubt, unless there is good independent evidence of it. The demonstration of its evolution requires a phylogenetic component. When paleobiologists discuss functions of bizarre structures, they are generally discussing adaptations. It is a truism of Alectinib concentration evolutionary biology that adaptations are shaped by natural MLN2238 selection

(Williams, 1992). Paleobiologists cannot assess selection in populations through generations, as microevolutionists can (e.g. Endler, 1986; Brandon, 1996). But they can assess natural selection at a more general hierarchical level in lineages, living and extinct, by mapping the elaboration of structures and the improvement of proposed functions upon phylogenies based on other characters (e.g. Padian, 2001; Padian & Horner, 2002, 2004). In order for an adaptation to be assessed (Padian, 1982, 1987), its necessary components must be identified and separated from non-essential ones. By plotting these character states on a phylogeny built from other characters, the assembly of the adaptation can be traced. Even after the basic adaptation is assembled, further modifications can be tracked in the same way (Padian, 2001). This method of PDA can selleck screening library be formalized in the following way (modified from Padian, 1982, 1987, 1995, 2001): 1 Identify the adaptation, its diagnostic (vs. merely associated) features and the groups that possess it. The implication of this method

for the assessment of bizarre structures in dinosaurs is that, if such explanations are to move beyond the ad hoc, they must be able to explain the evolution of these features, the assembly of their characters and functions. In other words, at successive nodes along the spine of the cladogram, one should be able to point to specific characters diagnostic of the proposed adaptation, and assess their function with respect to the organism as a whole. Such assessments need to take into account the roles of other features in the functional complex in order to provide an adequate cross-test (Padian, 2001). Moving to successive nodes along the spine of the cladogram, the evolution of the features from stage to stage should emerge. If there is no evidence for the improvement of a function or the assembly of a new one, the adaptive hypothesis fails.

Helicobacter pylori prevalence was 19% among 689 children aged 0

Helicobacter pylori prevalence was 1.9% among 689 children aged 0–8 years in 2010 and 1.8% among 835 children aged 0–11 in 2011. No feco-conversion buy LY2109761 was observed in 430 children aged 0–8 years (170 were aged 0–4 years) who provided follow-up stool samples after 1 year. The prevalence of infection was 6% (2 of 33) and 38% (6 of 16) in mothers of negative and positive probands (p = .04), respectively, and 12% (3 of 25) and 50% (8 of 16) (p = .01), respectively, in fathers. Helicobacter pylori prevalence in Japanese children is approximately

1.8%, which is much lower than that reported in Japanese adults. New infection may be rare. Parent-to-child infection is thought to be the main infection route of the infrequent infection for children in Japan. “
“Aim:  To document the efficacy and tolerability of 14-day moxifloxacine–tetracycline–lansoprazole (MTL) regimens for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication as a first-line therapy. Method:  Fifty-six Hp-positive

patients were enrolled. Patients were considered eligible for the study if they underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and Hp infection was diagnosed through histologic examination INCB024360 of antral and body bioptic samples. Primary end point of this study was to evaluate the eradication rate of 14-day MTL regimen therapies. Hp eradication was assessed using the 13C urea breath test performed. All patients were asked to fill in a validated questionnaire to report therapy-related side effects. Each symptom was graded from absent or present. Results:  Fifty-six patients (29 men and 27 women) were enrolled. The studied therapeutic regimens were completed by 96.4% patients. Two dropouts occurred in the MTL group because selleck chemicals llc of side effects. The eradication rate in MTL regimens

was 55.4%. The overall prevalence of side effects was high in the MTL group. Conclusion:  The MTL regimen failed to achieve the recommended eradication rates and had higher adverse effect rate. Hence, MTL regimen does not seem to be a suitable choice as a first-line Hp eradication therapy. “
“Helicobacter pylori infects approximately 50% of the world population. Among the infected individuals, only 10–20% develop peptic ulcers and <3% progress to gastric cancer (GC). Th1-predominant immune responses have been suggested to underlie H. pylori-induced gastric diseases. However, the reason for a strong inter-individual variation of susceptibility and course of the disease is currently far from being understood. It has been shown that H. pylori stimulates the host’s Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/1 complex. Furthermore, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) I602S of TLR1 alters the inflammatory cytokine response of monocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized an association of this TLR1 SNP with H. pylori-mediated gastric pathologies. Subjects with different TLR1 genotypes were analyzed for their IFN-γ response of NK- and T-cells.

Helicobacter pylori prevalence was 19% among 689 children aged 0

Helicobacter pylori prevalence was 1.9% among 689 children aged 0–8 years in 2010 and 1.8% among 835 children aged 0–11 in 2011. No feco-conversion see more was observed in 430 children aged 0–8 years (170 were aged 0–4 years) who provided follow-up stool samples after 1 year. The prevalence of infection was 6% (2 of 33) and 38% (6 of 16) in mothers of negative and positive probands (p = .04), respectively, and 12% (3 of 25) and 50% (8 of 16) (p = .01), respectively, in fathers. Helicobacter pylori prevalence in Japanese children is approximately

1.8%, which is much lower than that reported in Japanese adults. New infection may be rare. Parent-to-child infection is thought to be the main infection route of the infrequent infection for children in Japan. “
“Aim:  To document the efficacy and tolerability of 14-day moxifloxacine–tetracycline–lansoprazole (MTL) regimens for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) eradication as a first-line therapy. Method:  Fifty-six Hp-positive

patients were enrolled. Patients were considered eligible for the study if they underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and Hp infection was diagnosed through histologic examination PF-01367338 clinical trial of antral and body bioptic samples. Primary end point of this study was to evaluate the eradication rate of 14-day MTL regimen therapies. Hp eradication was assessed using the 13C urea breath test performed. All patients were asked to fill in a validated questionnaire to report therapy-related side effects. Each symptom was graded from absent or present. Results:  Fifty-six patients (29 men and 27 women) were enrolled. The studied therapeutic regimens were completed by 96.4% patients. Two dropouts occurred in the MTL group because click here of side effects. The eradication rate in MTL regimens

was 55.4%. The overall prevalence of side effects was high in the MTL group. Conclusion:  The MTL regimen failed to achieve the recommended eradication rates and had higher adverse effect rate. Hence, MTL regimen does not seem to be a suitable choice as a first-line Hp eradication therapy. “
“Helicobacter pylori infects approximately 50% of the world population. Among the infected individuals, only 10–20% develop peptic ulcers and <3% progress to gastric cancer (GC). Th1-predominant immune responses have been suggested to underlie H. pylori-induced gastric diseases. However, the reason for a strong inter-individual variation of susceptibility and course of the disease is currently far from being understood. It has been shown that H. pylori stimulates the host’s Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2/1 complex. Furthermore, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) I602S of TLR1 alters the inflammatory cytokine response of monocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized an association of this TLR1 SNP with H. pylori-mediated gastric pathologies. Subjects with different TLR1 genotypes were analyzed for their IFN-γ response of NK- and T-cells.

Protein determination was by western blotting using anti-ACSS1 (A

Protein determination was by western blotting using anti-ACSS1 (Abnova, Taipei, Taiwan) and anti-ACSS2 (Atlas, Stockholm, Sweden) primary antibodies with anti-β-actin

(Abcam, Cambridge, UK) used to confirm equal loading. Secondary antibodies were horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat antimouse IgG and goat antirabbit IgG Metformin (Sigma) and bands were identified using SuperSignal West Pico chemiluminescent substrate (Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL) for ACSS2 and Immobilon Western chemiluminescent substrate (Millipore, Billerica, MA) for ACSS1. Band densitometry was performed using Scion Image (Frederick, MD). The contribution of ACSS1 and 2 to the effect of ethanol on cytokine output was determined by knockdown with short hairpin RNA (shRNA, Sigma). shRNA for ACSS1 or 2 was delivered by a lentiviral vector at a multiplicity of infectivity (MOI) of 5. MonoMac6 cells were treated with hexadimethrine buy ITF2357 bromide (Sigma) 8 μg/mL to increase transduction efficiency and then incubated with the vector for 18 hours. Stably transduced lines were selected by cotransduced resistance to puromycin 5 μg/mL. After five passages in selection medium, knockdown was assayed by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Stable knockdowns of ACSS1, ACSS2, and a double-knockdown were prepared and

subjected to ethanol incubation, LPS stimulation, and multiplex cytokine immunoassay as above. Transduced cells were compared to untransduced and effects of shRNA on cellular function were controlled for by comparison with lines transduced with irrelevant shRNA constructs at the appropriate MOI in accordance with the principles laid down by the

2003 Horizon symposium.26 The effect of ACSS1 and 2 knockdown on global histone H3 and H4 acetylation after 7 days culture in 86 mM ethanol or 1 mM acetate was determined by western blotting with antibodies to acetyl-histone H3 and H4 (both Upstate) and total histone H3 and H4 (both Abcam). Numerical results were expressed as means of at least three samples and statistical significance assessed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Monomac6, an established human macrophage cell line modeling Kupffer cell responses in ethanol,10 was maintained in a validated constant-exposure ethanol culture system at an ethanol concentration click here of 86 mM, equivalent to human blood concentrations after heavy drinking. Using this system we demonstrated enhancement of the cytokine response to E. coli LPS 10 ng/mL compared to cells grown in normal medium. This was not seen with acute ethanol exposure, but after 7 days culture in ethanol we observed significant augmentation of IL6, IL8, and TNF-α release following LPS exposure (Fig. 1A). Cytokine mRNA expression was also increased (Fig. 1B). The effect of ethanol on cytokine output was reversible with transfer of hyperresponsive cells from ethanol to normal medium causing the cytokine response to LPS to normalize within 4 days (data not shown).

Protein determination was by western blotting using anti-ACSS1 (A

Protein determination was by western blotting using anti-ACSS1 (Abnova, Taipei, Taiwan) and anti-ACSS2 (Atlas, Stockholm, Sweden) primary antibodies with anti-β-actin

(Abcam, Cambridge, UK) used to confirm equal loading. Secondary antibodies were horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat antimouse IgG and goat antirabbit IgG click here (Sigma) and bands were identified using SuperSignal West Pico chemiluminescent substrate (Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL) for ACSS2 and Immobilon Western chemiluminescent substrate (Millipore, Billerica, MA) for ACSS1. Band densitometry was performed using Scion Image (Frederick, MD). The contribution of ACSS1 and 2 to the effect of ethanol on cytokine output was determined by knockdown with short hairpin RNA (shRNA, Sigma). shRNA for ACSS1 or 2 was delivered by a lentiviral vector at a multiplicity of infectivity (MOI) of 5. MonoMac6 cells were treated with hexadimethrine Alisertib in vivo bromide (Sigma) 8 μg/mL to increase transduction efficiency and then incubated with the vector for 18 hours. Stably transduced lines were selected by cotransduced resistance to puromycin 5 μg/mL. After five passages in selection medium, knockdown was assayed by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Stable knockdowns of ACSS1, ACSS2, and a double-knockdown were prepared and

subjected to ethanol incubation, LPS stimulation, and multiplex cytokine immunoassay as above. Transduced cells were compared to untransduced and effects of shRNA on cellular function were controlled for by comparison with lines transduced with irrelevant shRNA constructs at the appropriate MOI in accordance with the principles laid down by the

2003 Horizon symposium.26 The effect of ACSS1 and 2 knockdown on global histone H3 and H4 acetylation after 7 days culture in 86 mM ethanol or 1 mM acetate was determined by western blotting with antibodies to acetyl-histone H3 and H4 (both Upstate) and total histone H3 and H4 (both Abcam). Numerical results were expressed as means of at least three samples and statistical significance assessed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Monomac6, an established human macrophage cell line modeling Kupffer cell responses in ethanol,10 was maintained in a validated constant-exposure ethanol culture system at an ethanol concentration see more of 86 mM, equivalent to human blood concentrations after heavy drinking. Using this system we demonstrated enhancement of the cytokine response to E. coli LPS 10 ng/mL compared to cells grown in normal medium. This was not seen with acute ethanol exposure, but after 7 days culture in ethanol we observed significant augmentation of IL6, IL8, and TNF-α release following LPS exposure (Fig. 1A). Cytokine mRNA expression was also increased (Fig. 1B). The effect of ethanol on cytokine output was reversible with transfer of hyperresponsive cells from ethanol to normal medium causing the cytokine response to LPS to normalize within 4 days (data not shown).

Protein determination was by western blotting using anti-ACSS1 (A

Protein determination was by western blotting using anti-ACSS1 (Abnova, Taipei, Taiwan) and anti-ACSS2 (Atlas, Stockholm, Sweden) primary antibodies with anti-β-actin

(Abcam, Cambridge, UK) used to confirm equal loading. Secondary antibodies were horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-conjugated goat antimouse IgG and goat antirabbit IgG BIBW2992 cell line (Sigma) and bands were identified using SuperSignal West Pico chemiluminescent substrate (Thermo Scientific, Rockford, IL) for ACSS2 and Immobilon Western chemiluminescent substrate (Millipore, Billerica, MA) for ACSS1. Band densitometry was performed using Scion Image (Frederick, MD). The contribution of ACSS1 and 2 to the effect of ethanol on cytokine output was determined by knockdown with short hairpin RNA (shRNA, Sigma). shRNA for ACSS1 or 2 was delivered by a lentiviral vector at a multiplicity of infectivity (MOI) of 5. MonoMac6 cells were treated with hexadimethrine Selleckchem Galunisertib bromide (Sigma) 8 μg/mL to increase transduction efficiency and then incubated with the vector for 18 hours. Stably transduced lines were selected by cotransduced resistance to puromycin 5 μg/mL. After five passages in selection medium, knockdown was assayed by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Stable knockdowns of ACSS1, ACSS2, and a double-knockdown were prepared and

subjected to ethanol incubation, LPS stimulation, and multiplex cytokine immunoassay as above. Transduced cells were compared to untransduced and effects of shRNA on cellular function were controlled for by comparison with lines transduced with irrelevant shRNA constructs at the appropriate MOI in accordance with the principles laid down by the

2003 Horizon symposium.26 The effect of ACSS1 and 2 knockdown on global histone H3 and H4 acetylation after 7 days culture in 86 mM ethanol or 1 mM acetate was determined by western blotting with antibodies to acetyl-histone H3 and H4 (both Upstate) and total histone H3 and H4 (both Abcam). Numerical results were expressed as means of at least three samples and statistical significance assessed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Monomac6, an established human macrophage cell line modeling Kupffer cell responses in ethanol,10 was maintained in a validated constant-exposure ethanol culture system at an ethanol concentration this website of 86 mM, equivalent to human blood concentrations after heavy drinking. Using this system we demonstrated enhancement of the cytokine response to E. coli LPS 10 ng/mL compared to cells grown in normal medium. This was not seen with acute ethanol exposure, but after 7 days culture in ethanol we observed significant augmentation of IL6, IL8, and TNF-α release following LPS exposure (Fig. 1A). Cytokine mRNA expression was also increased (Fig. 1B). The effect of ethanol on cytokine output was reversible with transfer of hyperresponsive cells from ethanol to normal medium causing the cytokine response to LPS to normalize within 4 days (data not shown).

This may be due to context-dependent differences between Notch1 a

This may be due to context-dependent differences between Notch1 and Notch2, different transgene expression levels, or targeting of different cellular compartments including microenvironmental interaction issues. Regarding different roles of Notch1 and Notch2, we previously established a pivotal role of Notch2, but not Notch1, during development.7 In line with these data it is also reasonable to propose Notch2 as the primary Notch mTOR inhibitor receptor mediating biliary transdifferentiation of adult hepatocytes. We did not detect any lobular biliary structures

in R26N2ICHNF1βCreERT2 livers; however, we identified Notch2 signaling as a potential regulator of the adult liver progenitor compartment, as a significant ductular reaction was observed. This attractive presumption is supported by recent data derived from rodent oval cell models by means of pharmacological Notch inhibition that suggested Notch to be important for an effective oval cell response.11, 35 In summary, not only embryonic hepatoblasts but also mature hepatocytes exhibit a marked plasticity to canonical Notch2 signaling by biliary lineage commitment XL765 and morphogenesis. The particular transcriptional target(s) of Notch2 mediating lineage commitment and morphogenesis of both embryonic and adult liver cells remain to be

identified. Nevertheless, our results support the emerging concept that liver repair mechanisms in adulthood such as ductular reactions or transdifferentiation of hepatocytes recapitulate developmental processes using signaling pathways that are normally active

during embryogenesis. However, the precise role of Notch in hepatocyte transdifferentiation and progenitor cell-mediated liver regeneration awaits to be characterized in the setting of specific liver injury models with genetic compartment-specific Notch loss-of-function and gain-of-function models. We thank Stephanie Dürl and Silvia Krutsch for excellent laboratory assistance. We thank Ryoichiro Kageyama, (Kyoto University, Japan) for providing Hes1F/F mice. Additional Supporting Information may be found in the online selleck version of this article. “
“Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is a fatal complication after partial hepatectomy. Prediction of PHLF based on preoperative liver function test and the functional liver volume to be resected is crucial. Chronic liver injury results in liver fibrosis that is directly associated with liver dysfunction. Recently liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is gaining popularity as a noninvasive assessment for liver fibrosis. In this study we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of LSM for predicting PHLF. We enrolled two hundreds and thirty-four patients (152 primary liver tumors and 81 metastatic liver tumors) undergoing partial hepatec-tomy between August 2011 and April 2014.

The pertinent literature has reported a wide range of fusion perc

The pertinent literature has reported a wide range of fusion percepts varying between 28 and 98% of fusions (Baum, Martin, Hamilton, & Beauchamp, 2012; Gentilucci & Cattaneo, 2005; Keil, Muller, Ihssen, & Weisz, 2012; McGurk & MacDonald,

1976). The answers of the control subjects for the illusory stimuli when fusion failed were driven mainly by the auditory information attesting to the well-known auditory dominance in Mc Gurk illusion experiments (Campbell et al., 1990). Thus, the imbalance in design had no influence on the response properties of the control subjects in the sense that their performance conformed to the expected pattern. The synesthesia subjects showed a similar

response pattern for non-illusory stimuli (performance at ceiling, no significant difference to control group) and for illusory stimuli were the fusion failed (auditory dominance) as the control subjects. www.selleckchem.com/products/AZD1152-HQPA.html We therefore assume that the identified group difference regarding the number of fusions reflect differences in multisensory processing rather than a differential susceptibility to the design imbalance. Whereas the McGurk illusion covers a rather unnatural aspect of audiovisual integration and thus might constitute a special case, everyday life features multiple situations in which multisensory facilitation occurs. Already in the fifth decade of the last century it has been shown that the

Venetoclax presence of additional visual information leads to a considerable improvement of intelligibility of auditory input under noisy conditions (Sumby & Pollack, 1954). The comprehension benefit afforded by visual information in form of vocalization movements is particularly strong for specific this website SNR (McGettigan et al., 2012; Ross et al., 2007). At an intermediate level of SNR of about −12 dB multisensory integration is most evident in normal subjects. The general hyperbinding hypothesis of synesthesia (Hanggi et al., 2011) suggests that subjects affected by synesthesia should show either an additional gain of perception with concurrent audiovisual stimulation and/or a widening of the ‘special zone’ of SNRs in such situations. The current study revealed marked differences between synesthesia subjects and normal participants even in this quasi-natural experimental situation. While synesthetic participants benefited from visual information, a specific additional enhancement was missing. Again, this suggests that enhanced audiovisual integration is restricted to the inducer–concurrent pairing. Multisensory integration processes outside this special situation are reduced rather than enhanced in synesthesia. This pattern speaks against the hyperbinding hypothesis. Obviously, more evidence should be gathered before the hyperbinding hypothesis is put to a final rest.

The pertinent literature has reported a wide range of fusion perc

The pertinent literature has reported a wide range of fusion percepts varying between 28 and 98% of fusions (Baum, Martin, Hamilton, & Beauchamp, 2012; Gentilucci & Cattaneo, 2005; Keil, Muller, Ihssen, & Weisz, 2012; McGurk & MacDonald,

1976). The answers of the control subjects for the illusory stimuli when fusion failed were driven mainly by the auditory information attesting to the well-known auditory dominance in Mc Gurk illusion experiments (Campbell et al., 1990). Thus, the imbalance in design had no influence on the response properties of the control subjects in the sense that their performance conformed to the expected pattern. The synesthesia subjects showed a similar

response pattern for non-illusory stimuli (performance at ceiling, no significant difference to control group) and for illusory stimuli were the fusion failed (auditory dominance) as the control subjects. Raf inhibitor We therefore assume that the identified group difference regarding the number of fusions reflect differences in multisensory processing rather than a differential susceptibility to the design imbalance. Whereas the McGurk illusion covers a rather unnatural aspect of audiovisual integration and thus might constitute a special case, everyday life features multiple situations in which multisensory facilitation occurs. Already in the fifth decade of the last century it has been shown that the

Selleckchem Enzalutamide presence of additional visual information leads to a considerable improvement of intelligibility of auditory input under noisy conditions (Sumby & Pollack, 1954). The comprehension benefit afforded by visual information in form of vocalization movements is particularly strong for specific check details SNR (McGettigan et al., 2012; Ross et al., 2007). At an intermediate level of SNR of about −12 dB multisensory integration is most evident in normal subjects. The general hyperbinding hypothesis of synesthesia (Hanggi et al., 2011) suggests that subjects affected by synesthesia should show either an additional gain of perception with concurrent audiovisual stimulation and/or a widening of the ‘special zone’ of SNRs in such situations. The current study revealed marked differences between synesthesia subjects and normal participants even in this quasi-natural experimental situation. While synesthetic participants benefited from visual information, a specific additional enhancement was missing. Again, this suggests that enhanced audiovisual integration is restricted to the inducer–concurrent pairing. Multisensory integration processes outside this special situation are reduced rather than enhanced in synesthesia. This pattern speaks against the hyperbinding hypothesis. Obviously, more evidence should be gathered before the hyperbinding hypothesis is put to a final rest.

The pertinent literature has reported a wide range of fusion perc

The pertinent literature has reported a wide range of fusion percepts varying between 28 and 98% of fusions (Baum, Martin, Hamilton, & Beauchamp, 2012; Gentilucci & Cattaneo, 2005; Keil, Muller, Ihssen, & Weisz, 2012; McGurk & MacDonald,

1976). The answers of the control subjects for the illusory stimuli when fusion failed were driven mainly by the auditory information attesting to the well-known auditory dominance in Mc Gurk illusion experiments (Campbell et al., 1990). Thus, the imbalance in design had no influence on the response properties of the control subjects in the sense that their performance conformed to the expected pattern. The synesthesia subjects showed a similar

response pattern for non-illusory stimuli (performance at ceiling, no significant difference to control group) and for illusory stimuli were the fusion failed (auditory dominance) as the control subjects. Erlotinib ic50 We therefore assume that the identified group difference regarding the number of fusions reflect differences in multisensory processing rather than a differential susceptibility to the design imbalance. Whereas the McGurk illusion covers a rather unnatural aspect of audiovisual integration and thus might constitute a special case, everyday life features multiple situations in which multisensory facilitation occurs. Already in the fifth decade of the last century it has been shown that the

3-MA cost presence of additional visual information leads to a considerable improvement of intelligibility of auditory input under noisy conditions (Sumby & Pollack, 1954). The comprehension benefit afforded by visual information in form of vocalization movements is particularly strong for specific selleck kinase inhibitor SNR (McGettigan et al., 2012; Ross et al., 2007). At an intermediate level of SNR of about −12 dB multisensory integration is most evident in normal subjects. The general hyperbinding hypothesis of synesthesia (Hanggi et al., 2011) suggests that subjects affected by synesthesia should show either an additional gain of perception with concurrent audiovisual stimulation and/or a widening of the ‘special zone’ of SNRs in such situations. The current study revealed marked differences between synesthesia subjects and normal participants even in this quasi-natural experimental situation. While synesthetic participants benefited from visual information, a specific additional enhancement was missing. Again, this suggests that enhanced audiovisual integration is restricted to the inducer–concurrent pairing. Multisensory integration processes outside this special situation are reduced rather than enhanced in synesthesia. This pattern speaks against the hyperbinding hypothesis. Obviously, more evidence should be gathered before the hyperbinding hypothesis is put to a final rest.